A Texas high school coaching staff is reportedly being sued for allegedly forcing players to do over 365 pushups in under an hour during a gruelling training session that left them in life-threatening conditions.

According to reports, former Rockwall-Heath High School coach John Harrell and a dozen assistant coaches are accused of forcing members of the junior varsity football hopefuls to engage in the rigorous activity without break or water. This resulted in several hospitalisations.

In a lawsuit filed by one of the players’ parents, on January 6th, 2023, several players were subjected to the act, used as punishment for each mistake made, resulting in 16 push-ups per error in the 50-minute session.

It’s reported that 23 mistakes counted, so they had to do a total of 368 pushups.

At least 26 players were reportedly diagnosed with or had symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, a potentially deadly medical condition that causes muscle tissue to break down.

“This is not, I stubbed my toe or this is not I’m a little winded after running some sprints. This is a potentially long-term, life-affecting injury, and it’s not something you’re just going to tough out,” the plaintiff’s lawyer told reporters. “Coach Harrell wrote the program that said any little infraction for all sorts of different reasons would result in these push-ups.”

Some of the alleged “mistakes” made by the students during training include “wrong attire”, “negative interactions with coaches and peers”, “bad attitude”, and “not hustling”.

Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis usually appear within 24 – 48 hours after overexertion, which can result in more severe muscle breakdown. Left untreated, it could lead to kidney failure, cardiac problems, and even death.

Harrell was reportedly placed on administrative leave before eventually resigning following the backlash.

Although no criminal charges were ever filed against him, the former coach reportedly settled two lawsuits with other parents whose children were affected by the workout.